Automated inspection of autonomous vehicle lights

ABSTRACT

A light inspection system positions an autonomous vehicle (AV) in a field of view of a camera such that the camera captures an image of a light of the AV. The light inspection system instructs a camera to capture an image of the light while the light is switched on. The light inspection system receives the captured image, determines a luminance of the light based on the image, and determines to service the light in response to the luminance of the light being below a threshold luminance.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation (and claims the benefit of priorityunder 35 U.S.C. §120) of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/891,420, filedAug. 19, 2022, and entitled, “AUTOMATED INSPECTION OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLELIGHTS,” which is a continuation U.S. application Ser. No. 16/744,913,filed Jan. 16, 2020, and entitled, “AUTOMATED INSPECTION OF AUTOMOUSVEHICLE LIGHTS.” The disclosures of these applications are consideredpart of (and are incorporated by reference in) this application.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicles (AVs)and, more specifically, to devices and methods for automated inspectionof AV lights.

BACKGROUND

In conventional automobiles, drivers observe when vehicle lights are notoperating properly. Driverless AVs do not have drivers to observe theoperation of lights on the AVs. Instead, in current fleet managementsystems for driverless AVs, manual inspections are performed to assessthe functionality of vehicle lights. For example, a person inspectsvehicles in the fleet at a storage facility or maintenance facility on aperiodic basis (e.g., each morning, or once a week), including whethereach vehicle's lights are operating properly. This manual inspectionprocess can be time consuming and inefficient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To provide a more complete understanding of the present disclosure andfeatures and advantages thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, whereinlike reference numerals represent like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system including an example AVin which automated inspection of AV lights according to some embodimentsof the present disclosure may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a light inspection systemaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle management systemaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is an example top view of an AV showing various lights of the AVaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example use case of the lights of a first AV beinginspected by a second AV according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example use case of an AV performing an inspectionof its own lights according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example use case of an AV facility performing aninspection of lights of an AV according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example use case of an AV positioned to direct alight onto a patterned surface to analyze alignment of the lightaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example method for inspecting lights of anAV according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE Overview

The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have severalinnovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for theall of the desirable attributes disclosed herein. Details of one or moreimplementations of the subject matter described in this specificationare set forth in the description below and the accompanying drawings.

Fleets of conventional vehicles often rely on human drivers to ensurethat the vehicle lights are operating properly. Alternatively, fleets ofconventional or autonomous vehicles use routine manual inspection of thevehicles to verify proper operation of the vehicle lights. For example,before vehicles are put into service for the day, a human inspectorchecks the exterior lights and interior lights of the vehicles to ensurethat each light on each vehicle is operating correctly. Some vehiclelights, such as brake lights, are equipped with sensors that indicatewhen the lights are out; other vehicle lights do not have such sensors,and the human driver or human inspector observes the functioning of thelights in operation. Furthermore, even if a sensor indicates that alight is operational, the light may be obstructed by dirt or othermaterial. Assessing vehicle lights using these routines is aninefficient process that may remove vehicles from service for a lengthyperiod of time. Reducing the frequency of inspection improves efficiencyacross the fleet, but it increases the likelihood that vehicles in thefleet are on the road with inoperable lights. In addition, certainconditions that impact the functionality of the lights, such as dirt ormisalignment, may be difficult for a human inspector to detect.

The light inspection system described herein performs automaticinspection of vehicle lights, such as lights of an AV. The lightinspection system instructs a camera to capture an image of the AV thatincludes one or more AV lights, such as headlights, fog lights, highbeams, running lights, brake lights, tail lights, license plate lights,external displays, interior lights, etc. The light inspection systempositions the AV relative to the camera such that the AV light is withina field of view of the camera. In one embodiment, the camera is mountedon a second AV as part of the second AV's sensor suite, and the first AVand/or second AV move relative to each other so that the second AV'scamera captures the light of the first AV. In a second embodiment, thecamera is located on the AV, and the AV maneuvers itself relative to amirror that reflects an image of a portion of the AV to the camera. In athird embodiment, the camera is located within an AV facility, e.g., ata station for servicing, refueling, or storing AVs, and the AVautonomously maneuvers itself so that the light is visible to thecamera.

When the AV has been positioned so that the camera can capture the AV'slight, the AV switches the light on, and the camera captures an image ofthe light. The light inspection system receives the image from thecamera and determines a luminance of the light based on the image. Thelight inspection system determines whether to service the light inresponse to the luminance being below a threshold, e.g., a thresholdindicating that the light may be burned out, dirty, or otherwise notproperly operating.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for inspecting alight of an AV. The system includes a camera interface, a positioningmodule, a light interface, and an image analyzer. The camera interfaceis configured to instruct a camera to capture an image of a field ofview of the camera. The positioning module is configured to provideinstructions to position the AV relative to the camera such that a lightof the AV is within the field of view of the camera. The light interfaceis configured to instruct the light of the AV to switch on. The imageanalyzer is configured to receive an image captured by the camera, theimage comprising the switched-on light of the AV, determine a luminanceof the light of the AV based on the image, and determine to service thelight of the AV in response to determining that the luminance of thelight of the AV is below a threshold luminance.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide for a method forinspecting a light of an AV, and a computer-readable medium comprisinginstructions for performing the method. The method includes providinginstructions to position the AV relative to a camera such that a lightof the AV is within the field of view of the camera, instructing thelight of the AV to switch on, instructing the camera to capture an imageof the field of view, the image comprising the switched-on light of theAV, determining a luminance of the light of the AV based on the image,and determining to service the light of the AV in response todetermining that the luminance of the light of the AV is below athreshold luminance.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentdisclosure, in particular aspects of automated light inspection forautonomous vehicles, described herein, may be embodied in variousmanners (e.g., as a method, a system, a computer program product, or acomputer-readable storage medium). Accordingly, aspects of the presentdisclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, anentirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software,micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardwareaspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,”“module” or “system.” Functions described in this disclosure may beimplemented as an algorithm executed by one or more hardware processingunits, e.g. one or more microprocessors, of one or more computers. Invarious embodiments, different steps and portions of the steps of eachof the methods described herein may be performed by different processingunits. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the formof a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readablemedium(s), preferably non-transitory, having computer-readable programcode embodied, e.g., stored, thereon. In various embodiments, such acomputer program may, for example, be downloaded (updated) to theexisting devices and systems (e.g. to the existing perception systemdevices and/or their controllers, etc.) or be stored upon manufacturingof these devices and systems.

The following detailed description presents various descriptions ofspecific certain embodiments. However, the innovations described hereincan be embodied in a multitude of different ways, for example, asdefined and covered by the claims and/or select examples. In thefollowing description, reference is made to the drawings where likereference numerals can indicate identical or functionally similarelements. It will be understood that elements illustrated in thedrawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Moreover, it will beunderstood that certain embodiments can include more elements thanillustrated in a drawing and/or a subset of the elements illustrated ina drawing. Further, some embodiments can incorporate any suitablecombination of features from two or more drawings.

The following disclosure describes various illustrative embodiments andexamples for implementing the features and functionality of the presentdisclosure. While particular components, arrangements, and/or featuresare described below in connection with various example embodiments,these are merely examples used to simplify the present disclosure andare not intended to be limiting. It will of course be appreciated thatin the development of any actual embodiment, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedeveloper's specific goals, including compliance with system, business,and/or legal constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that, while such a developmenteffort might be complex and time-consuming; it would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure.

In the Specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationshipsbetween various components and to the spatial orientation of variousaspects of components as depicted in the attached drawings. However, aswill be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete readingof the present disclosure, the devices, components, members,apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desiredorientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”,“lower”, “top”, “bottom”, or other similar terms to describe a spatialrelationship between various components or to describe the spatialorientation of aspects of such components, should be understood todescribe a relative relationship between the components or a spatialorientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as thecomponents described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.When used to describe a range of dimensions or other characteristics(e.g., time, pressure, temperature, length, width, etc.) of an element,operations, and/or conditions, the phrase “between X and Y” represents arange that includes X and Y.

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent fromthe following description and the claims.

Example AV Configured for Automated Inspection of Lights

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 including an exampleAV in which automated inspection of AV lights according to someembodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. The system 100includes a fleet of autonomous vehicles (AVs) 110, including AV 110 a,AV 110 b, and AV 110N, and a vehicle management system 120. For example,a fleet of AVs may include a number N of AVs, e.g., AV 110 a through AV110N. AV 110 a includes a sensor suite 140 and a light inspection system150. AVs 110 b through 110N also include the sensor suite 140 and thelight inspection system 150. A single AV in the fleet is referred toherein as AV 110, and the fleet of AVs is referred to collectively asAVs 110. The light inspection system 150 enables an AV 110 toautomatically inspect the lights of the AV 110 (e.g., AV 110 a) and/oranother one of the AVs (e.g., AV 110 b) to determine if any of thelights need servicing, e.g., replacement, adjustment, or cleaning. Thevehicle management system 120 may automatically schedule inspection andservicing of the lights of the AVs 110.

Each AV 110 is preferably a fully autonomous automobile, but mayadditionally or alternatively be any semi-autonomous or fully autonomousvehicle; e.g., a boat, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a driverless car,etc. Additionally, or alternatively, the AV 110 may be a vehicle thatswitches between a semi-autonomous state and a fully autonomous stateand thus, the AV may have attributes of both a semi-autonomous vehicleand a fully autonomous vehicle depending on the state of the vehicle.

The AV 110 may include a throttle interface that controls an enginethrottle, motor speed (e.g., rotational speed of electric motor), or anyother movement-enabling mechanism; a brake interface that controlsbrakes of the AV (or any other movement-retarding mechanism); and asteering interface that controls steering of the AV (e.g., by changingthe angle of wheels of the AV). The AV 110 may additionally oralternatively include interfaces for control of any other vehiclefunctions; e.g., windshield wipers, headlights, turn indicators, airconditioning, etc.

The AV 110 includes a sensor suite 140, which includes a computer vision(“CV”) system, localization sensors, and driving sensors. For example,the sensor suite 140 may include photodetectors, cameras, radar, sonar,lidar, GPS, wheel speed sensors, inertial measurement units (IMUS),accelerometers, microphones, strain gauges, pressure monitors,barometers, thermometers, altimeters, ambient light sensors, etc. Thesensors may be located in various positions in and around the AV 110.For example, the AV 110 may have multiple cameras located at differentpositions around the AV 110.

An onboard computer (not shown in FIG. 1 ) is connected to the sensorsuite 140 and functions to control the AV 110 and to process sensed datafrom the sensor suite 140 and/or other sensors in order to determine thestate of the AV 110. Based upon the vehicle state and programmedinstructions, the onboard computer modifies or controls behavior of theAV 110. The onboard computer is preferably a general-purpose computeradapted for I/O communication with vehicle control systems and sensorsuite 140, but may additionally or alternatively be any suitablecomputing device. The onboard computer is preferably connected to theInternet via a wireless connection (e.g., via a cellular dataconnection). Additionally or alternatively, the onboard computer may becoupled to any number of wireless or wired communication systems.

The AV 110 has various internal and external lights. For example, the AV110 has one or more of headlights, fog lights, high beams, runninglights, brake lights, tail lights, license plate lights, externaldisplays, interior lights, etc. FIG. 4 shows a set of lights of anexample AV.

The light inspection system 150 inspects the lights of an AV 110 in thefleet. The light inspection system 150 obtains one or more images of oneor more lights of an AV 110, determines the luminance of the lightsbased on the image, and determines whether the luminance indicateswhether any of the lights need servicing, e.g., if a light has a lowerluminance than expected, or if the light is not visible in the image.The light inspection system 150 receives the image from a camera, e.g.,a camera of the sensor suite 140 of the same AV 110, a camera of thesensor suite 140 of a different AV, or a camera mounted in an AVfacility. While the light inspection system 150 is shown as a componentof the AV 110, in some embodiments, some or all components of the lightinspection system 150 are implemented outside of the AV 110, e.g., inthe vehicle management system 120, at a cloud server, in an AV facility,etc. The light inspection system 150 is described further in relation toFIG. 2 .

The vehicle management system 120 manages the fleet of AVs 110. Thevehicle management system 120 may manage a service that provides or usesthe AVs 110, e.g., a service for providing rides to users using the AVs110, or a service that delivers items using AVs (e.g., prepared foods,groceries, packages, etc.). The vehicle management system 120 may selectan AV from a fleet of AVs to perform a particular service or other task,and instruct the selected AV (e.g., AV 110 a) to drive to a particularlocation (e.g., a delivery address). The vehicle management system 120also manages fleet maintenance tasks, such as fueling, inspecting, andservicing of the AVs 110. As shown in FIG. 1 , each of the AVs 110communicates with the vehicle management system 120. The AVs 110 andvehicle management system 120 may connect over a public network, such asthe Internet. The vehicle management system 120 is described further inrelation to FIG. 3 .

Example Light Inspection System

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the light inspection system 150according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The lightinspection system 150 includes a positioning module 210, a lightinterface 220, a camera interface 230, an image analyzer 240, acommunications interface 250, a lidar interface 260, and an ambientlight interface 270. In alternative configurations, fewer, differentand/or additional components may be included in the light inspectionsystem 150. For example, in some configurations, the lidar interface 260and/or ambient light interface 270 is not included. Further,functionality attributed to one component of the light inspection system150 may be accomplished by a different component included in the lightinspection system 150 or a different system than those illustrated. Forexample, in some embodiments, some elements of the light inspectionsystem 150 may be implemented by a different AV, by a computer in an AVfacility, by the vehicle management system 120, or by another server.

The positioning module 210 provides instructions to position the AV 110relative to a camera that captures images of the AV 110 such that thefield of view of the camera includes a particular light or set of lightsof the AV 110. The positioning module 210 receives informationdescribing the position of the AV 110 and/or information describing thelocation and field of view of the camera, and, based on thisinformation, determines a maneuver or set of maneuvers to be performedso that the camera captures the lights of the AV 110. The instructionsmay include maneuvers to be performed by the AV 110 being inspected,maneuvers to be performed by the camera capturing images of the AV 110(e.g., maneuvers by a movable camera mounting, or maneuvers by a secondAV having a camera used to capture images of the AV 110 beinginspected), or maneuvers to be performed by both the AV 110 and thecamera. Three examples of positioning an AV 110 relative to a camera aredescribed with respect to FIGS. 5-7 .

In some embodiments, the positioning module 210 determines a sequence ofmaneuvers so that the camera can capture the AV 110 from multipleangles, e.g., to capture different lights of the AV 110 and/or tocapture lights of the AV 110 from different angles. In such embodiments,the positioning module 210 provides instructions to re-position the AVrelative to the camera. For example, the positioning module 210 providesinstructions to position the AV 110 and/or camera so that the cameracaptures a first set of lights, visible from the front of the AV 110(e.g., headlights and fog lights), and then provides instructions tore-position the AV 110 and/or camera so that the camera captures asecond set of lights, visible from the back of the AV 110 (e.g.,taillights and brake lights).

The light interface 220 interfaces with the lights of the AV 110. Thelight interface 220 instructs one or more lights of the AV 110 to switchon so that images of the lights in operation may be captured by thecamera. The light interface 220 may instruct the lights of the AV 110 toswitch on and off in a sequence that allows the camera to capture imagesfrom each of a set of lights. For example, the light interface 220 mayinstruct various lights of a headlight assembly to turn on and off in asequence that allows each light to be independently captured andanalyzed, e.g., first turning on headlights, then turning off theheadlights and turning on running lights, then turning off the runninglights and turning on high beams, etc. The light interface 220 receivesinformation from the positioning module 210 indicating lights that arein the field of view of the camera, and instructs one or more lightswithin the field of view of the camera to turn on. For example, if thepositioning module 210 indicates that the AV 110 is positioned so thatthe camera's field of view includes the back of the AV 110, the lightinterface 220 instructs lights visible from the back of the AV 110(e.g., taillights and brake lights) to switch on. When the AV 110 isre-positioned, the light interface 220 instructs a different set oflights to switch on.

The camera interface 230 interfaces with the camera, e.g., one or morecameras of the AV 110 being inspected, one or more cameras of adifferent AV, or one or more cameras in an AV facility. The camerainterface 230 instructs the camera to capture an image of the field ofview of the camera when the AV 110 is positioned in the field of view ofthe camera. The camera interface 230 receives information from the lightinterface 220 indicating when a light or set of lights has been switchedon, and the camera interface 230 instructs the camera to capture theimage of the AV 110 while the light(s) are on. The camera interface 230may instruct the camera to capture still images, videos, or acombination of images and videos. For example, the camera interface 230instructs the camera to capture videos for lights that flash orotherwise vary over time, such as turn indicators or hazard lights, andthe camera interface 230 instructs the camera to capture still imagesfor lights that do not vary over time, such as headlights andtaillights.

The image analyzer 240 receives images captured by the camera andanalyzes the images to determine the luminance of the lights of the AV110. The image analyzer 240 compares the luminance of the lights to oneor more thresholds (e.g., a threshold associated with each light) and,if any of the luminances are below their associated thresholds,determines if any of the lights of the AV 110 should be serviced.

To determine a luminance measurement of a particular light of the AV110, the image analyzer 240 identifies the location of the light in thecaptured image. For example, based on the relative position of the AV110 and the camera, the image analyzer 240 expects the light to be at aparticular position (e.g., a particular set of pixels) in the image.Alternatively, the image analyzer 240 may detect the AV 110 in the imageand determine the location of the light on the detected AV 110. Afteridentifying the location of the light in the image, the image analyzer240 analyzes the color of the light, the apparent size of the light, thebrightness of the light, the color and/or brightness of other portionsof the image, and/or other aspects of the image to determine theluminance of the light. For example, the image analyzer 240 compares thecolor and brightness of the light to color and brightness of one or moreother portions of the image to determine a luminance measurement.

The image analyzer 240 may have different thresholds for different typesof lights, e.g., a higher threshold for a high-beam light than for aheadlight, and a lower threshold for a running light than a headlight.The image analyzer 240 may have multiple thresholds describing differentlight conditions, e.g., a first threshold over which the light iscategorized as clean and properly operating, and a second, lowerthreshold that is a minimum operating threshold, below which the lightis categorized as off or burned out. As another example, the imageanalyzer 240 identifies lights with a luminance in a range between thefirst and second threshold, or within a smaller range, the rangeindicating that the light has a lower luminance than desired (e.g.,somewhat dirty) but is still operational. The image analyzer 240 mayhave different thresholds indicating the level of urgency for servicingthe light (e.g., service immediately, service in the next 5 days,service when the AV 110 returns to an AV facility for fueling orstorage, etc.). The urgency may also depend on the type of light (e.g.,brake light servicing may be more urgent than running light servicing).

In some embodiments, the image analyzer 240 determines the luminance ofthe light by comparing the image of the AV 110 to one or more otherreference images. For example, the image analyzer 240 has a library ofimages showing AVs with lights in various conditions (e.g., workingproperly, off/burned out, various levels of dirt, various types ofmisalignment). The image analyzer 240 compares the image of the AV 110to the reference image to determine the luminance of the light. Forexample, the image analyzer 240 determines which of the reference imagesthe image of the light is most similar to, and if the selected referenceimage indicates that the luminance is below a threshold (e.g.,misaligned beyond a given amount, or dirty beyond a given amount), theimage analyzer 240 determines to service the AV 110.

The communications interface 250 enables the light inspection system 150to communicate with other systems or servers. For example, if the lightinspection system 150 is implemented in the AV 110, the communicationsinterface 250 communicates with the vehicle management system 120, e.g.,to receive instructions from the vehicle management system 120 toinspect the lights of the AV 110, and to inform the vehicle managementsystem 120 that the AV 110 needs servicing. As another example, if thelight inspection system 150 cooperates with another AV or cameras withinan AV facility, the communications interface 250 communicates with theother AV or AV facility, e.g., to send instructions from the camerainterface 230.

The lidar interface 260 interfaces with a lidar (light detection andranging) sensor in the sensor suite 140. The lidar sensor measuresdistances to objects in the vicinity of the AV 110 using reflected laserlight. The lidar sensor may be a scanning lidar that captures a pointcloud of the environment of the AV 110. The image analyzer 240 oranother processor (e.g., the onboard computer) may receive the pointcloud, analyze the data to identify the position of the camera in thepoint cloud, and determine a distance between the AV 110 and the camerabased on the point cloud data.

The distance from the AV 110 to the camera may be used for positioningand/or for determining luminance of the lights. In some embodiments, thepositioning module 210 receives data describing the location of thecamera (e.g., the distance between the AV 110 and the camera and/or theposition of the camera relative to the AV 110) from the image analyzer240, and the positioning module 210 uses this data to position the AV110 relative to the camera. For example, the positioning module 210instructs the AV 110 to perform a positioning maneuver to alter theposition of the AV 110 relative to the camera based on the distancebetween the AV 110 and the camera, e.g., to move closer the camera orfarther away from the camera. In some embodiments, the image analyzer240 determines the luminance of the light based on the distance betweenthe AV 110 and the camera. For example, the image analyzer 240 scalesthe luminance based on the distance, scaling down the luminance when thecamera is closer to the AV 110, and scaling up the luminance when thecamera is farther from the AV 110, because the distance alters theapparent brightness of the light in the image.

The ambient light interface 270 interfaces with an ambient light sensorin the AV 110, e.g., in the sensor suite 140. The ambient light sensormeasures the amount of ambient light in the environment of the AV 110.The image analyzer 240 may determine the luminance of the light based onthe level of ambient light in the environment of the AV 110. Forexample, if the image analyzer 240 determines the luminance by comparingthe apparent brightness of the light to the apparent brightness of otherareas of the image, the image analyzer 240 may scale the luminance basedon the ambient light level, e.g., increasing the brightness when theambient light level is high. As another example, if the image analyzer240 compares the image of the AV 110 to reference images to determinethe luminance of the light, the image analyzer 240 may select a subsetof the reference images that were taken with a similar level of ambientlight to the ambient light level received at the ambient light interface270.

Example Vehicle Management System

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the vehicle management system 120according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The vehiclemanagement system 120 includes a UI (user interface) server 310, avehicle manager 320, and a maintenance scheduler 330. In alternativeconfigurations, different and/or additional components may be includedin the vehicle management system 120. Further, functionality attributedto one component of the vehicle management system 120 may beaccomplished by a different component included in the vehicle managementsystem 120 or a different system than those illustrated.

The UI server 310 is configured to communicate with client devices thatprovide a user interface to users. For example, the UI server 310 may bea web server that provides a browser-based application to clientdevices, or the UI server 310 may be a mobile app server that interfaceswith a mobile app installed on client devices. The user interfaceenables the user to access a service of the vehicle management system120, e.g., to request a ride from an AV 110, or to request a deliveryfrom an AV 110.

The vehicle manager 320 manages and communicates with a fleet of AVs,including AVs 110 a through 110N. The vehicle manager 320 may assign AVs110 to various tasks and direct the movements of the AVs 110 in thefleet. For example, the vehicle manager 320 assigns an AV 110 to performa service requested by a user to the UI server 310. The vehicle manager320 may instruct AVs 110 to drive to other locations while not servicinga user, e.g., to improve geographic distribution of the fleet, toanticipate demand at particular locations, etc. The vehicle manager 320also instructs AVs 110 to return to AV facilities for fueling,inspection, maintenance, or storage. The vehicle manager 320 mayinstruct an AV 110 to receive an inspection at a maintenance facility,including an inspection of vehicle lights. In some embodiments, thevehicle manager 320 instructs an AV 110 to perform an inspection ofanother AV 110; and example of this is shown in FIG. 5 .

The maintenance scheduler 330 schedules maintenance of the AV 110. Forexample, the maintenance scheduler 330 may schedule time-based ormileage-based servicing. The maintenance scheduler also schedulesneed-based services, including services to replace, adjust, or cleanvehicle lights. In particular, the maintenance scheduler receives asignal from the light inspection system 150 indicating that theluminance of a light of the AV 110 is below a threshold luminance thatindicates servicing is needed. The maintenance scheduler 330 schedulesthe AV 110 for servicing and instructs the AV to maneuver to amaintenance facility for servicing of the light of the AV. Themaintenance scheduler 330 may instruct the AV 110 to drive to amaintenance facility, or to drive to a particular part of themaintenance facility of the AV 110 is already in the facility for theinspection. The maintenance scheduler 330 may instruct the AV 110 todrive to the maintenance facility immediately (e.g., if the AV 110 isnot safe to be servicing users, or if the AV 110 can be servicedquickly), or the maintenance scheduler 330 may instruct the AV 110 todrive to the maintenance facility at a particular time. The maintenancescheduler 330 may automatically request parts to be at the maintenancefacility for servicing the AV 110. For example, the maintenancescheduler 330 determines a part used for servicing the AV 110 (e.g., alight that needs replacing, or parts used for re-aligning the light),and the maintenance scheduler 330 submits a request for the part to bedelivered to the maintenance facility for servicing the light of the AV110. The maintenance scheduler 330 may submit the request to a partswarehouse, a parts supplier, or another source of parts.

Example AV Lights

FIG. 4 is an example top view of an AV 400 showing various lights of theAV according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The lightinspection system 150 can be used to inspect any of the lights shown inFIG. 4 . The AV 400 includes a left headlight assembly 410 and a rightheadlight assembly 415. Each headlight assembly 410 and 415 may include,for example, a headlight, a running light, a fog light, a high beam, anda turn indicator. In some embodiments, one or more of these lights maybe in a separate assembly, e.g., the fog lights may be below theheadlight assembly. The AV 400 includes a left taillight assembly 420and a right taillight assembly 425. Each taillight assembly 420 and 425may include, for example, a running light, a brake light, and a turnindicator. The AV 400 has left turn indicator 430 and right turnindicator 435 on the side mirrors, in addition to in the turn indicatorsin the headlight assemblies 410 and 415 and the taillight assemblies 420and 425. The AV 400 has an additional brake light 440 in the center ofthe rear window. The AV 400 has an interior light 450, located below theroof. The interior light 450 is not visible from above, but the interiorlight 450, or light from the interior light 450, is visible through thewindows of the AV 400, e.g., through the left side windows, right sidewindows, and/or windshield of the AV 400. If light from the interiorlight 450 is visible from outside the AV 400, the interior light 450 canbe inspected by the light inspection system 150. The AV 400 may haveadditional interior lights not shown in FIG. 4 that can also beinspected by the light inspection system 150. The AV 400 has an exteriordisplay screen 460, which may display information to users of the AVservice, such as information for users to identify their assigned AV, orother information. The AV 400 may have additional display screens, e.g.,another display screen on the right side. The light inspection system150 may be used to inspect the functionality of the display screen 460or any other display screens. The AV 400 also includes a sensor suite470, which is similar to the sensor suite 140 described above.

Example Use Cases for Light Inspection System

FIG. 5 illustrates an example use case of the lights of a first AV beinginspected by a second AV according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In this example, a first AV 510 is being inspected by asecond AV 520. A camera 525 mounted on the second AV 520 has a field ofview 530 that includes the front of the first AV 510, including aheadlight assembly 515. The camera 525 may be a component of a sensorsuite, such as sensor suite 140, of the second AV 520. In this example,the second AV 520 has a light inspection system 550, which is similar tothe light inspection system 150 described above, for inspecting thelights of the first AV 510. In other embodiments, the light inspectionsystem 550 is implemented in the first AV 510, by the vehicle managementsystem 120, or by one or more other devices that receive images from thecamera 525.

In this use case, the positioning module 210 instructs the first AV 510and/or the second AV 520 to maneuver relative to each other so that thefield of view 530 includes lights of the first AV 510. For example, thepositioning module 210 determines a location of the first AV 510relative to the second AV 520, and instructs the first AV 510 to performat least one positioning maneuver such that a light of the first AV 510(e.g., the headlight assembly 515) is within the field of view 530 ofthe camera 525. Alternatively, the positioning module 210 determines alocation of the second AV 520 relative to the first AV 510, andinstructs the second AV 520 to perform at least one positioning maneuversuch that the field of view 530 of the camera 525 mounted on the secondAV 520 is positioned to capture a light of the first AV 510 (e.g., theheadlight assembly 515).

FIG. 6 illustrates an example use case of an AV performing an inspectionof its own lights according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In this example, an AV 610 is positioned near a mirrorarrangement that includes a front mirror 620 and a side mirror 630. Thefront mirror 620 and side mirror 630 provide reflections of the AV 610.The camera 615 is mounted on the AV 610, and may be a component of asensor suite, such as sensor suite 140. The light inspection system 650,which is similar to the light inspection system 150 described above,inspects the lights of the AV 610 based on images received from thecamera 615.

The front mirror 620 provides a front reflection 625 in the field ofview 640 of the camera 615. The front reflection 625 captured in thefield of view 640 includes the front of the AV 610, including aheadlight assembly 645. The side mirror 630 provides a side reflection635 in a second field of view (not shown in FIG. 4 ) of the camera 615,or in a field of view of a second camera (not shown in FIG. 4 ). Theside reflection 635, which is captured in a field of view of the camera615 or a second camera, shows the left side of the AV 610, including adisplay screen 660. In other embodiments, different mirror arrangementsfrom the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 may be used. For example, a singlemirror may be used, or the AV 610 may enter a room with a mirror on eachwall.

In this use case, the positioning module 210 maneuvers the AV 610 sothat the AV 610 is reflected by the front mirror 620 and side mirror630, and the camera(s) of the AV 610 (e.g., camera 615) capture thereflections of the AV 610. For example, the positioning module 210determines a location of the AV 610 relative to the mirror 620, andinstructs the AV 610 to perform at least one positioning maneuver suchthat the field of view of the camera 615 is positioned to capture areflection of the light of the AV 610 (e.g., the headlight assembly 645)in the mirror. The mirror arrangement may be located within an AVfacility, e.g., a facility for maintenance or storage.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example use case of an AV facility performing aninspection of lights of an AV according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In this use case, an AV facility, such as a facilityfor performing maintenance on AVs, storing AVs, or refueling AVs, has alight inspection station 720. In some embodiments, the light inspectionstation 720 is configured to inspect additional aspects of AVs, such asthe body or sensor systems. In some embodiments, the light inspectionstation 720 performs other tasks, such as AV storage or fueling. Forexample, each parking spot within an AV facility may be a lightinspection station 720.

An AV 710 is positioned in the light inspection station 720, whichincludes four cameras 725 a, 725 b, 725 c, and 725 d, referred tocollectively as cameras 725. The cameras 725 may be mounted on walls ofthe light inspection station 720, a ceiling or floor of the AV facility,or on other equipment in the AV facility, etc. The cameras 725 arearranged to capture images of the AV 710 from various angles. Forexample, camera 725 a captures an image including the left headlightassembly 730 and the left turn indicator 740. Camera 725 c captures animage including the left taillight assembly 750. Both cameras 725 c and725 d may capture images including the brake light 760. In otherexamples, more or fewer cameras 725 are included, and the cameras 725may be at different locations from those shown in FIG. 7 . The cameras725 communicate with a light inspection system, such as light inspectionsystem 150, which may be implemented in the AV 710, the light inspectionstation 720, a computer elsewhere in the AV facility, or an off-sitecomputer. The light inspection system instructs the cameras 725 tocapture images of the AV 710 and analyzes the captured images todetermine if any of the lights of the AV 710 need servicing.

The light inspection station 720 is configured so that the AV 710 canautonomously maneuver itself into the light inspection station 720 andinto a position in which the AV lights, such as the lights 730-760, arein the field of view of at least one of the cameras 725. The lightinspection station 720 may include reference information, such as walls,markings on walls or the floor, or objects in or around the lightinspection station 720, and the positioning module 210 can generateinstructions for the AV 710 to perform maneuvers to position the AV 710in the light inspection station 720 based on the reference information.For example, the AV 710 autonomously maneuvers itself to a positionequidistant between two walls on which the cameras 725 are mounted, and2 meters behind a paint marking (not shown in FIG. 7 ) on the floor ofthe light inspection station 720.

In some embodiments, after the cameras 725 have taken images of thelights of the AV 710, the positioning module 210 repositions the AV 710so that the cameras 725 can capture additional images of the AV 710 fromdifferent angles. In some embodiments, the cameras 725 are fixed to amovable camera mounting that enables the camera interface 230 to adjustthe camera positions and/or field of views. In some embodiments, thecamera interface 230 instructs the cameras 725 to move to a particularposition based on the model of AV 710. In some embodiments, the camerainterface 230 instructs the cameras 725 to move to a series of positionsand capture a series of images to capture different field of views ofthe AV 710.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example use case of an AV positioned to direct alight onto a patterned surface to analyze alignment of the lightaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The AV 810 ispositioned in front of a patterned wall 820, which may be a wall in anAV facility. As shown in FIG. 8 , the patterned wall 820 has grid linesacross the wall; in other embodiments, other patterns may be used. Aheadlight 830 of the AV 810 directs a light beam at the patterned wall820, and a headlight focus region 835 is shown on the grid of thepatterned wall 820. The headlight focus region 835 may be a region inwhich the luminance of the light emitted from the headlight 830 andincident on the patterned wall 820 is above a threshold luminance.

A camera 840 has a field of view 845 that captures the patterned wall820, including the headlight focus region 835. An image analyzer 240 ofa light inspection system 850, which is similar to light inspectionsystem 150 described above, receives an image captured by the camera840. The image analyzer 240 determines the focus position of theheadlight, e.g., the location of the center of the headlight focusregion 835 within the grid pattern, or the boundaries of the headlightfocus region 835. The light inspection system 850 determines whether theheadlight 830 is misaligned based on the determined focus position. Forexample, when the AV 810 has maneuvered to a particular positionrelative to the patterned wall 820, the headlight focus region 835 isexpected to be at a particular position on the patterned wall 820 whenthe headlight 830 is properly aligned. If the light inspection system850 determines that the focus position of the headlight 830 is shiftedaway from this expected position, the light inspection system 850determines that the headlight 830 is misaligned. The light inspectionsystem 850 can further determine the direction and degree ofmisalignment.

While the use case shown in FIG. 8 analyzes the alignment of theheadlight 830, in other use cases, the light inspection system 850 canuse the patterned wall 820 to assess alignment of other lights, such ashigh beams, fog lights, tail lights, etc., in a similar manner. WhileFIG. 8 shows the camera 840 as a camera mounted on the AV 810, and thelight inspection system 850 as being implemented by the AV 810, in otherembodiments, either or both of the camera 840 and light inspectionsystem 850 are implemented outside the AV 810, e.g., by another AV, orby the AV facility.

Example Method for Inspecting Lights of an AV

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example method for inspecting lights of anAV according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. A lightinspection system 150 provides 910 instructions to position the AVrelative to the camera. For example, the positioning module 210 providesinstructions to the AV 110 to perform maneuvers so that one or morelights of the AV 110 are within a field of view of the camera. Thecamera may be mounted in an AV facility. Alternatively, the camera maybe mounted on AV 110, which maneuvers near a mirror that reflects animage of the AV 110 to the camera. As another example, the positioningmodule 210 provides instructions to a second AV to perform maneuvers sothat lights of the AV 110 are within the field of view of a cameramounted on the second AV.

The light inspection system 150 (e.g., the light interface 220)instructs 920 the light of the AV to switch on. The light inspectionsystem 150 (e.g., the camera interface 230) instructs 930 the camera tocapture an image of the light of the AV; the image includes theswitched-on light of the AV. The light inspection system 150 (e.g., theimage analyzer 240) determines 940 a luminance of the light of the AVbased on the image. The light inspection system 150 (e.g., the imageanalyzer 240) determines to service the light in response to determiningthat the luminance of the light is below a threshold luminance.

SELECT EXAMPLES

Example 1 provides a system for inspecting a light of an AV including acamera interface configured to instruct a camera to capture an image ofa field of view of the camera; a positioning module configured toprovide instructions to position the AV relative to the camera such thata light of the AV is within the field of view of the camera; a lightinterface configured to instruct the light of the AV to switch on; andan image analyzer configured to receive an image captured by the camera,the image including the switched-on light of the AV, determine aluminance of the light of the AV based on the image, and determine toservice the light of the AV in response to determining that theluminance of the light of the AV is below a threshold luminance.

Example 2 provides the system of according to example 1, where thecamera is mounted on a second AV as a component of a sensor suite of thesecond AV.

Example 3 provides the system according to example 2, where thepositioning module is configured to determine a location of the AVrelative to the second AV, and instruct the AV to perform at least onepositioning maneuver such that the light of the AV is within the fieldof view of the camera mounted on the second AV.

Example 4 provides the system according to example 2, where thepositioning module is configured to determine a location of the secondAV relative to the AV, and instruct the second AV to perform at leastone positioning maneuver such that the field of view of the cameramounted on the second AV is positioned to capture the light of the AV.

Example 5 provides the system according to example 1, where the systemfurther includes a mirror, the camera is mounted on the AV as acomponent of a sensor suite of the AV, and the positioning module isconfigured to determine a location of the AV relative to the mirror, andinstruct the AV to perform at least one positioning maneuver such thatthe field of view of the camera mounted on the AV is positioned tocapture a reflection of the light of the AV in the mirror.

Example 6 provides the system according to example 1, where the camerais mounted within a station within an AV facility, the station isconfigured to enable the AV to autonomously maneuver into the station,and the positioning module is configured to instruct the AV to performat least one positioning maneuver to maneuver the AV into the station.

Example 7 provides the system according to any of the precedingexamples, where the positioning module is further configured to provideinstructions to re-position the AV relative to the camera such that asecond light of the AV is within the field of view of the camera, andthe image analyzer is further configured to receive a second imagecaptured by the camera, the second image including the second light ofthe AV; determine a luminance of the second light of the AV based on thesecond image; and determine to service the second light of the AV inresponse to determining that the luminance of the second light of the AVis below a threshold luminance.

Example 8 provides the system according to any of the precedingexamples, where the system further includes a lidar sensor configured tocapture a point cloud describing the environment of the AV, and theimage analyzer is further configured to determine a distance between theAV and the camera based on the point cloud.

Example 9 provides the system according to example 8, where thepositioning module is configured to instruct the AV to perform at leastone positioning maneuver to alter the position of the AV relative to thecamera based on the distance between the AV and the camera.

Example 10 provides the system according to example 8 or 9, where theimage analyzer is configured to determine the luminance of the lightbased on the distance between the AV and the camera.

Example 11 provides the system according to any of the precedingexamples, where the threshold luminance is a first luminance thresholdindicating proper operation of the light of the AV, image analyzer isfurther configured to compare the luminance of the light of the AV to asecond luminance threshold lower than the first luminance threshold, andthe luminance being lower than the second luminance threshold indicatesthat the light is off or burned out.

Example 12 provides the system according to any of the precedingexamples, where the positioning module is further configured to provideinstructions to position the AV such that the light of the AV isdirected at a patterned surface, and the image analyzer is furtherconfigured to determine a focus position of the light of the AV on thepatterned surface based on the image, and determine whether the light ofthe AV is misaligned based on the focus position.

Example 13 provides the system according to any of the precedingexamples, where the system further includes an ambient light sensorconfigured to measure a level of ambient light in the environment of theAV, and the image analyzer is configured to determine the luminance ofthe light of the AV based on the level of ambient light in theenvironment of the AV.

Example 14 provides the system according to any of the precedingexamples, where the system further includes a maintenance schedulerconfigured to instruct the AV to maneuver to a maintenance facility forservicing of the light of the AV in response to determining that theluminance of the light of the AV is below a threshold luminance.

Example 15 provides the system according example 14, where themaintenance scheduler is further configured to identify a part used forservicing the light of the AV, and submit a request for the part to bedelivered to the maintenance facility for servicing the light of the AV.

Example 16 provides a method for inspecting a light of an AV, the methodincluding providing instructions to position the AV relative to a camerasuch that a light of the AV is within the field of view of the camera;instructing the light of the AV to switch on; instructing the camera tocapture an image of the field of view, the image including theswitched-on light of the AV; determining a luminance of the light of theAV based on the image; and determining to service the light of the AV inresponse to determining that the luminance of the light of the AV isbelow a threshold luminance.

Example 17 provides the method according to example 16, where the camerais mounted on a second AV as a component of a sensor suite of the secondAV, and the method further includes determining a location of the AVrelative to the second AV; and in response to the instructions toposition the AV relative to a camera, maneuvering at least one of the AVand the second AV such that the light of the AV is within the field ofview of the camera mounted on the second AV.

Example 18 provides the method according to example 16, where the camerais mounted on the AV as a component of a sensor suite of the AV, and themethod further includes determining a location of the AV relative to amirror; and in response to the instructions to position the AV relativeto a camera, maneuvering the AV such that the field of view of thecamera mounted on the AV is positioned to capture a reflection of thelight of the AV in the mirror.

Example 19 provides the method according to example 16, where the camerais mounted within a station within an AV facility, the station isconfigured to enable the AV to autonomously maneuver into the station,and the method further includes performing, by the AV, at least onepositioning maneuver to maneuver the AV into the station in response toreceiving the instructions to position the AV relative to a camera.

Example 20 provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storinginstructions for inspecting a light of an AV, the instructions, whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to provide instructions toposition the AV relative to a camera such that a light of the AV iswithin the field of view of the camera; instruct the light of the AV toswitch on; instruct the camera to capture an image of the field of view,the image including the switched-on light of the AV; determine aluminance of the light of the AV based on the image; and determine toservice the light of the AV in response to determining that theluminance of the light of the AV is below a threshold luminance.

Example 21 provides a system for inspecting a light of a first AV, thesystem including a camera mounted on a second AV, the camera configuredto capture an image of a field of view; a positioning module configuredto position the second AV relative to the first AV such that a light ofthe first AV is within the field of view of the camera; and an imageanalyzer configured to receive an image captured by the camera, theimage comprising the light of the first AV, and to determine to servicethe light of the first AV based on the image.

Example 22 provides a method for inspecting a light of a first AV, themethod including positioning a second AV relative to the first AV suchthat a light of the first AV is within a field of view of a cameramounted on the second AV; instructing the camera mounted on the secondAV to capture an image of the field of view, the image comprising thelight of the first AV; and determining to service the light of the firstAV based on the captured image.

Example 23 provides system for inspecting a light of an AV, the systemincluding a camera mounted on the AV and configured to capture an imageof a field of view; a positioning module configured to position the AVrelative to a mirror such that a light of the AV is reflected by themirror to the field of view of the camera; a light interface configuredto instruct the light of the AV to switch on; and an image analyzerconfigured to receive an image captured by the camera, the imagecomprising the light of the first AV, and to determine to service thelight of the first AV based on the image.

Example 24 provides a method for inspecting a light of an AV, the methodincluding positioning the AV relative to a mirror such that a light ofthe AV is reflected by the mirror and visible in a field of view of acamera mounted on the AV; instructing the light of the AV to switch on;capturing, by the camera mounted on the AV, an image of the field ofview of the camera, the image comprising the light of the AV; anddetermining to service the light of the AV based on the captured image.

Example 25 provides a system for inspecting a light of an AV, the systemincluding a camera mounted in an AV facility, the camera configured tocapture an image of a field of view; a positioning module configured toautonomously maneuver the AV relative to the camera such that a light ofthe AV is within the field of view of the camera; and an image analyzerconfigured to receive an image captured by the camera, the imagecomprising the light of the first AV, and to determine to service thelight of the first AV based on the image.

Example 26 provides a method for inspecting a light of an AV, the methodincluding autonomously maneuvering the AV in an AV facility comprising amounted camera such that a light of the AV is within a field of view ofthe camera; instructing the camera to capture an image of the field ofview, the image comprising the light of the AV; and determining toservice the light of the AV based on the captured image.

Other Implementation Notes, Variations, and Applications

It is to be understood that not necessarily all objects or advantagesmay be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment describedherein. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize thatcertain embodiments may be configured to operate in a manner thatachieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taughtherein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as maybe taught or suggested herein.

In one example embodiment, any number of electrical circuits of thefigures may be implemented on a board of an associated electronicdevice. The board can be a general circuit board that can hold variouscomponents of the internal electronic system of the electronic deviceand, further, provide connectors for other peripherals. Morespecifically, the board can provide the electrical connections by whichthe other components of the system can communicate electrically. Anysuitable processors (inclusive of digital signal processors,microprocessors, supporting chipsets, etc.), computer-readablenon-transitory memory elements, etc. can be suitably coupled to theboard based on particular configuration needs, processing demands,computer designs, etc. Other components such as external storage,additional sensors, controllers for audio/video display, and peripheraldevices may be attached to the board as plug-in cards, via cables, orintegrated into the board itself. In various embodiments, thefunctionalities described herein may be implemented in emulation form assoftware or firmware running within one or more configurable (e.g.,programmable) elements arranged in a structure that supports thesefunctions. The software or firmware providing the emulation may beprovided on non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprisinginstructions to allow a processor to carry out those functionalities.

It is also imperative to note that all of the specifications,dimensions, and relationships outlined herein (e.g., the number ofprocessors, logic operations, etc.) have only been offered for purposesof example and teaching only. Such information may be variedconsiderably without departing from the spirit of the presentdisclosure, or the scope of the appended claims. The specificationsapply only to one non-limiting example and, accordingly, they should beconstrued as such. In the foregoing description, example embodimentshave been described with reference to particular arrangements ofcomponents. Various modifications and changes may be made to suchembodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Thedescription and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

Note that with the numerous examples provided herein, interaction may bedescribed in terms of two, three, four, or more components. However,this has been done for purposes of clarity and example only. It shouldbe appreciated that the system can be consolidated in any suitablemanner. Along similar design alternatives, any of the illustratedcomponents, modules, and elements of the FIGS. may be combined invarious possible configurations, all of which are clearly within thebroad scope of this Specification.

Note that in this Specification, references to various features (e.g.,elements, structures, modules, components, steps, operations,characteristics, etc.) included in “one embodiment”, “exampleembodiment”, “an embodiment”, “another embodiment”, “some embodiments”,“various embodiments”, “other embodiments”, “alternative embodiment”,and the like are intended to mean that any such features are included inone or more embodiments of the present disclosure, but may or may notnecessarily be combined in the same embodiments.

Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, andmodifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it isintended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes,substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications as fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims. Note that all optional featuresof the systems and methods described above may also be implemented withrespect to the methods or systems described herein and specifics in theexamples may be used anywhere in one or more embodiments.

In order to assist the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)and, additionally, any readers of any patent issued on this applicationin interpreting the claims appended hereto, Applicant wishes to notethat the Applicant: (a) does not intend any of the appended claims toinvoke paragraph (f) of 35 U.S.C. Section 112 as it exists on the dateof the filing hereof unless the words “means for” or “step for” arespecifically used in the particular claims; and (b) does not intend, byany statement in the Specification, to limit this disclosure in any waythat is not otherwise reflected in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for inspecting a light of an autonomousvehicle (AV) comprising: providing instructions to position the AV suchthat the light of the AV is within a field of view of a camera;instructing the camera to capture an image of the field of view, theimage comprising the light of the AV; and determining to service thelight of the AV based on the captured image.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the AV is a first AV, the camera is mounted on a second AV, themethod further comprising: determining a location of the first AVrelative to the second AV; and providing instructions to the first AV toposition the first AV such that the light of the first AV is within thefield of view of the camera mounted on the second AV.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the camera is mounted on the AV, the method furthercomprising: determining a location of the AV relative to a mirror; andperforming, by the AV, at least one positioning maneuver to maneuver theAV such that the field of view of the camera mounted on the AV ispositioned to capture a reflection of the light of the AV in the mirror.4. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted within a stationwithin an AV facility, the method further comprising: performing, by theAV, at least one positioning maneuver to maneuver the AV such that lightof the AV is positioned within the field of view of the camera mountedin the station.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior toinstructing the camera to capture the image of the field of view,instructing the light of the AV to switch on.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein determining to service the light of the AV based on the capturedimage comprises: determining a luminance of the light of the AV based onthe captured image; and determining that the luminance of the light ofthe AV is below a threshold luminance.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising receiving a measurement of a level of ambient light in anenvironment of the AV, and determining to service the light of the AVfurther based on the level of ambient light.
 8. The method of claim 1,further comprising determining a distance between the camera and thelight of the AV, and determining to service the light of the AV furtherbased on the distance between the camera and the light of the AV.
 9. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to: provide instructions toposition an autonomous vehicle (AV) such that a light of the AV iswithin a field of view of a camera; instruct the camera to capture animage of the field of view, the image comprising the light of the AV;and determine to service the light of the AV based on the capturedimage.
 10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9,wherein the AV is a first AV, the camera is mounted on a second AV, theinstructions further cause the processor to: determine a location of thefirst AV relative to the second AV; and wherein the instructions toposition the AV relative to the camera comprise instructions to positionthe first AV such that the light of the first AV is within the field ofview of the camera mounted on the second AV.
 11. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the camera is mounted onthe AV, the instructions further cause the processor to: determine alocation of the AV relative to a mirror; wherein the instructions toposition the AV relative to the camera comprise instructions to performat least one positioning maneuver to maneuver the AV such that the fieldof view of the camera mounted on the AV is positioned to capture areflection of the light of the AV in the mirror.
 12. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the camera is mountedwithin a station within an AV facility, and the instructions to positionthe AV relative to the camera comprise instructions to perform at leastone positioning maneuver to maneuver the AV such that light of the AV ispositioned within the field of view of the camera mounted in thestation.
 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, theinstructions further cause the processor to: prior to instructing thecamera to capture the image of the field of view, instruct the light ofthe AV to switch on.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 9, wherein determining to service the light of the AV based on thecaptured image comprises: determining a luminance of the light of the AVbased on the captured image; and determining that the luminance of thelight of the AV is below a threshold luminance.
 15. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions furthercause the processor to: receive a measurement of a level of ambientlight in an environment of the AV; and determine to service the light ofthe AV further based on the level of ambient light.
 16. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein theinstructions further cause the processor to: determine a distancebetween the camera and the light of the AV; and determine to service thelight of the AV further based on the distance between the camera and thelight of the AV.
 17. A system for inspecting a light of an autonomousvehicle (AV) comprising: a camera to capture images of a field of viewof the camera; and computing circuitry to: instruct the AV to positionitself such that the light of the AV is within the field of view of thecamera; receive an image captured by the camera, the image comprisingthe light of the AV; and determine to service the light of the AV basedon the captured image.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the AV is afirst AV, the camera is mounted on a second AV, and instructing the AVto position itself relative to the camera comprises: determining alocation of the first AV relative to the second AV; and providinginstructions to the first AV to position the first AV such that thelight of the first AV is within the field of view of the camera mountedon the second AV.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the camera ismounted on the AV, and instructing the AV to position itself relative tothe camera comprises: determining a location of the AV relative to amirror; and instructing the AV to perform at least one positioningmaneuver to maneuver the AV such that the field of view of the cameramounted on the AV is positioned to capture a reflection of the light ofthe AV in the mirror.
 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the camera ismounted within a station within an AV facility, and instructing the AVto position itself relative to the camera comprises: instructing the AVto perform at least one positioning maneuver to maneuver the AV suchthat light of the AV is positioned within the field of view of thecamera mounted in the station.